The Pancake House, Diplomatic Quarter, is a recent addition to its ever-growing stable of American franchises. It seems to offer better food that many of them, and has a range and variety that appeals to young and old alike, at any time of day.

Despite the nominal boundaries of meals, pretty much everything is available all day long, from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m.

It would be good to see a policy imposed whereby people who were just going for a coffee or a drink could not occupy the outside tables for hours on end. Despite the social nature of Saudi Arabia, The Pancake House in Riyadh is not a dedicated coffee shop; there are several other establishments within easy walking distance which are, but seeing as The Pancake House in Riyadh is a popular destination, it is inevitable that people want to hang out there.

Being a small venue it is easy for the staff to keep an eye on the tables inside, and a waiter is never far away, although once seated outside the staff seem to leave people to their own devices, which may necessitate a trip inside in order to ask for something.

A welcome addition to the dining options on the Diplomatic Quarter, The Pancake House is worth a visit any time of day. It is an informal, friendly venue with very cheerful staff, and tasty food that is prepared quickly and priced reasonably, and will also deliver to your home – as long as you live on the DQ.

Three of KSA’s four golf clubs are in around Riyadh. There is also a private one in the eastern region, and there is talk of a fifth over in the western region at some stage.

Of the three in Riyadh, the most impressive is undoubtedly Nofa Golf Club.

Time Out from the City

Located on a huge property to the south of Mecca Road about an hour out of Riyadh, visitors will notice the huge metal dishes close to the entrance. These collect solar energy and are rumoured to provide power to the entire estate.

Click here to see how to get to the club (thanks to Wael Soliman)

There are also villas on the property that can be rented out for a weekend golfing getaway.

To visit the resort website, click here.

Nofa is an excellent golfing option, and the extra activities make it a pleasant outing for non-players too. It is the furthest from Riyadh of the clubs in the region, but the facility encourages players to spend some time there after a round, and food is available for those who want to stay for lunch.

As we know, however, restaurants aren’t (or shouldn’t be, anyway) a success because of looks alone, so how does Appétit Kitchen, Riyadh, fare on the food front?

The menu has two pages for lunch, and two pages for dinner; make sure you realise which you should be reading. The font size is not the most reader-friendly of any restaurant that have been reviewed here, although it does allow for an impressive number of dishes to be included on each page.

As for the main courses, there is a wide choice of pasta, pizette, fish and meat.

A wide selection of available curries and grills are available, and it is worthwhile asking the waiter for recommendations. The best way forward is to decide the main ingredient – chicken, mutton, prawn, fish or vegetables – and to decide on the curry accordingly.

The Copper Chandni, Riyadh, overall, is a place that serves good food in very pleasant surroundings. Despite some staples which are missing from the menu, there is enough choice to make sure that guests have a very enjoyable experience. But be warned, it is by no means the best value Indian restaurant in Riyadh.

There are several Copper Chandni restaurants in Saudi Arabia. For further details, click here

Please share with us your experiences of the Copper Chandni, Riyadh, in the comments section below.

Centria Mall is one of Riyadh’s most stylish, with high-end stores selling exquisite goods. It is also home to some very upmarket and excellent restaurants.

There is a departure from the norm of Japanese restaurants in that there is no sushi bar. Yokari is a place where you book your table and that is your base. There is no interaction encouraged with the kitchen. The fillets and cuts are on display, but you have to get up from your table to examine them.

The menu treats everyone like they are an expert in Japanese food. There are no photos or explanations, just the name of the dish and the price. The waiters are happy to explain, but that involves them standing in the gap between tables, which is not very large, so if someone at the next table needs to get up, the waiter has to move, disrupting whatever he is explaining to the table.

There are many options for drinks, but most of them seem not to be available, hence it is wise to follow the waiter’s lead and suggestions. That said, the mojitos, available in a variety of flavours, are excellent.

The kitchen has spent time creating a signature selection of maki rolls, and there are some interesting creations. Particularly recommended is the Unagi Saku Saku, which has a variety of seafood surrounded by rice, and is then deep fried so the outside is satisfyingly crispy. The presentation is also excellent, with sauces drizzled over the rolls.

There is a good selection of main courses too, and it is recommended to order one or two as a pleasant meaty balance to the sushi that started the meal.

The Experience at Yokari, Riyadh

Yokari is by no means a restaurant of moderate prices. It is perhaps the most expensive Japanese restaurant in Riyadh. It is a place where people come for the food rather than the ambience.

Despite the stylish design, there is little atmosphere, and despite the tables being in close proximity to each other, and overall feeling of privacy is maintained. The chances are that the only interaction diners will have is with themselves and their waiter.

The food is brought to the table promptly, and thankfully not all at once, which creates a sense of build-up through the meal. This is a place where the kitchen is very proud of its creations, and wants guests to enjoy what has been produced.

Do not expect to be able to order platters of sushi, Yokari is a far more of a gourmet experience, somewhere which stands out as opposed to following the regular pattern. It is certainly a delight to the eyes.

Traditionally, a windrose is a meteorological tool that indicates compass orientations (North, South, East, West, and intermediate points) for use in navigation, which does make an enquiring mind wonder why a restaurant surrounded and sheltered by tall buildings has been named after such a device. That said, however, after successfully navigating the route to the Windrose brunch, Riyadh, on Fridays, few explorers are disappointed.

Different to Other Hotel Brunches

It’s always a good idea at hotel brunches to take a wander past all the offerings to see exactly what there is in order to plan the dining experience for the next few hours. At some brunches this can take longer than the consumption of one of those courses, although this is not the case at the Windrose brunch.

The Windrose brunch makes sense. It is reasonably priced; the variety of food on offer is sensible, not over-the-top; all dishes are made with care and attention, and as such are very tasty. It is even good for children, as there is an entertainer outside who will look after them whilst parents enjoy uninterrupted conversation with friends inside. The Windrose brunch shows that it is not necessary to go to extremes of excess, and that concentrating on quality is worthwhile, which is a fairly unique approach in this city of conspicuous consumption.

The quality of the Windrose brunch has remained constant over the years. Read flipboyfoodie's review from 2012 here